Looking for suggestions for shade to part shade flowers/plants/ground cover, zone 3ish, nothing to fussy...they will be planted around a large maple tree. I'm somewhat of a novice, learning as I go, love container gardening.

Hostas are wonderful. They don't have showy flowers, but the leaves are spectacular. Caladiums have very colorful leaves too and both plants are very happy in partial shade. One problem - slugs love them so you will have to put out slug bait.

I forgot to add ferns. I love ferns, and as long as they get enough water they are a snap to grow in the shade. You will have to use native ferns, not the tender ones (like Boston Fern) that grow in containers. I live in zone 6, so I'm not sure if this fern will thrive in your area, but Christmas Fern (polystichum acrostichodes) is a great evergreen fern. Also any of the Dryopteris species are very pretty. But you'll have to check the cold tolerance.

Thanks for the suggestions Kay and Ellen. Hostas and impatients seem to be popular choices for shady areas...I will look for the other suggestions too. I would love to have wave petunias as ground cover but I'm not sure how they would do under a tree.

Looking for suggestions for shade to part shade flowers/plants/ground cover, zone 3ish, nothing to fussy...they will be planted around a large maple tree. I'm somewhat of a novice, learning as I go, love container gardening.

Margaret, You are talking my Zone now! zone 3 or 4. If you don't have a deer problem (like I do ) you can go crazy with Impatients. They do beautifully in the shade, and there is a wide variety of color. Stay away from the very dark leaf though...they seem to require more sun. You can mix color too and it is a really nice look under a tree...like you mentioned. Unfortunately, the wave petunia requires quite a bit of sun and it won't do well in the shade. Hostas were mentioned and they are easy care, but you probably won't see a flower until late summer/early fall. They spread wonderfully though and fill in a border nicely. Ferns work well too but I've found they take a season or so to establish themselves and sometimes, they don't work at all. They are fussy outside their naturual setting, which is woods. You can try it though. They are pretty. As for flowers...wild flowers work best in the shade. Shasta Daisy, Forget-me-nots (really nice little flower) and black-eyed susans (Rudbekia) I've had a lot of luck with those and the deer leave them alone . Good luck!

Don't know what zone 3 is, so sorry if none of this is relevant. As well as hostas and ferns we've got hellebores planted in quite deep shade. Solomon's seal also. If you don't want year round colour spring bulbs are nice. We've a weeping copper beech underplanted with crocuses, which looks spectacular for about two weeks in the spring time, and I've some birches that are underplanted with wood anemones and epimediums - but it's fairly light shade, and I can also grow thalictrum and geraniums there as well. And foxgloves - though they don't seed, so I have to put them in every year. We've iris foetidissima in various shady places as well, but it's not a plant I'm fond of.

[quote="MMcA"]Don't know what zone 3 is, so sorry if none of this is relevant.

Zone 3 is from the USDA and Canadian Hardiness zone map. In other words...which climate you live in where flowers and plants will thrive. Margaret is from Canada and I'm from Minnesota, so we share zones for the most part. Too cold for some plants and a shorter growing season. We are limited in some areas. You lucky people in zone 5 and 6 have so many more choices!

Margaret, You are talking my Zone now! zone 3 or 4. If you don't have a deer problem (like I do ) you can go crazy with Impatients. They do beautifully in the shade, and there is a wide variety of color. Stay away from the very dark leaf though...they seem to require more sun. You can mix color too and it is a really nice look under a tree...like you mentioned. Unfortunately, the wave petunia requires quite a bit of sun and it won't do well in the shade. Hostas were mentioned and they are easy care, but you probably won't see a flower until late summer/early fall. They spread wonderfully though and fill in a border nicely. Ferns work well too but I've found they take a season or so to establish themselves and sometimes, they don't work at all. They are fussy outside their naturual setting, which is woods. You can try it though. They are pretty. As for flowers...wild flowers work best in the shade. Shasta Daisy, Forget-me-nots (really nice little flower) and black-eyed susans (Rudbekia) I've had a lot of luck with those and the deer leave them alone . Good luck!

No deer problems here, I live in town, we do get a few bunnies. It sounds like hostas and impatients are the best bets. I also heard a plant, Jack Frost, will do well, and I love that name. I may try a couple of wave petunias just to see how they do there...I just can't resist them, I'm like an addict when I go to our local garden center. I fill several containers full of them each spring/summer.

No deer problems here, I live in town, we do get a few bunnies. It sounds like hostas and impatients are the best bets. I also heard a plant, Jack Frost, will do well, and I love that name. I may try a couple of wave petunias just to see how they do there...I just can't resist them, I'm like an addict when I go to our local garden center. I fill several containers full of them each spring/summer.

Thanks everyone![/quote]

I looked up the Jack Frost plant and it's very pretty. The silver leaf with the little blue flower is nice. Wave Petunia...don't you love them? I've had a lot of good luck with the hanging plants. They get huge and drape very nicely. I am partial to purple. I love containers too. I do have a problem with squirrels with the container by the front door. I noticed that it wasn't doing well and looked to find most of the plants unearthed. I think they were using the container as a hiding place for nuts and berries...or whatever they were hiding.

Hi Margaret........I have had the same issue in my back yard and for years have tried many different things.......have found that in my area (NJ shore) impatiens have been bred over the last few years to actually need some sun and do not thrive in shade.......ferns do well.......hostas can take over as they continue to multiply every year. Maybe start with a couple here and there....my favorites are the bright green on green. Also if available to you the 'tuberous begonias' are awesome...they do fine in shade but if they get a little sunlight in the morning or late afternoon it's even better......they grow like weeds and have stunning colors - the blooms remind me of roses. Another plant is the 'Martha Washington' geranium - very pretty and they do well with very little sun. For ground cover I like mosses and sedum which grows like a weed. Good Luck and I'd love to hear how it all turns out for you! Sharon

have found that in my area (NJ shore) impatiens have been bred over the last few years to actually need some sun and do not thrive in shade.......

That would only be the New Guinea Impatien(ts). The plant has a dark green leaf, and I have found they do need some sun to thrive. I have had hanging baskets in partial shade of the New Guinea that don't thrive. I've kind of given up on them and pass them in the nursery. They look pretty and healthy when buying but in my climate, they don't see to want to grow. Disappointing, because they are a bit more $$ than the originals, which still do wonderfully in the shade.

ferns do well.......hostas can take over as they continue to multiply every year. Also if available to you the 'tuberous begonias' are awesome...the 'Martha Washington' geranium - For ground cover I like mosses and sedum which grows like a weed. Good Luck and I'd love to hear how it all turns out for you! Sharon

I've never plated ferns, any particular type for our climate? Begonias and geraniums sound do-able, for me. Thanks for the suggestions, Sharon!

I made the mistake of trying this flower two years ago...looked beautiful at the garden center, but it didn't thrive. I tried everything sun, shade, more water, less water. Nothing worked.

You are so right about the New Guinea Impatiens - very fussy! They need sun and lots of water .......if they dry out at all forget it - they're done.

But I was actually talking about regular old Impatiens........they used to grow 2-3 feet high with no sun.........now they don't..............they actually need some sun and still don't get as large as they used to. Don't know what's been done to them but it's a shame because it limits the choices for shade.